Ecosystems worldwide are facing increasing threats from climate change, and it is important to understand their impacts on key organisms. Ants are one of the most ubiquitous, widespread, and abundant groups of animals on earth, providing a variety of basic and vital ecological services.Although there is increasing knowledge about the effects of climate change on ants, this information is scattered and we are still far from a global understanding of its consequences for ant communit...

Ants are one of the most important faunal groups in Australia and are widely used as bioindicators in land monitoring and assessment programs. The Ants of Northern Australia will help in the identification of the 1500 or more ant species occurring in monsoonal Australia, an area which encompasses most of the northern third of the continent. Until now, no book has described the northern Australian ant fauna below genus level. Such a treatment is required to support and promote the numerous eco...

This handy, pocket-sized guide is essential reading for anyone who owns, or is thinking of investing in, an aquarium. It’s packed with colour photographs and provides all the information you need in a concise and accessible format.This compact guide is full of helpful information and expert advice on setting up an aquarium and caring for your fish. It explains the different types of tank, equipment and fish that can be kept, and guides you through the basics of caring for and breed...

The most authoritative illustrated book on flying reptiles availableFor 150 million years, the skies didn't belong to birds—they belonged to the pterosaurs. These flying reptiles, which include the pterodactyls, shared the world with the nonavian dinosaurs until their extinction 65 million years ago. Some pterosaurs, such as the giant azhdarchids, were the largest flying animals of all time, with wingspans exceeding thirty feet and standing heights comparable to mo...

'Gripping and wonderfully informative' Tom Holland, New StatesmanAdored by children and adults alike, Tyrannosaurus is the most famous dinosaur in the world, one that pops up again and again in pop culture, often battling other beasts such as King Kong, Triceratops or velociraptors in Jurassic Park. But despite the hype, Tyrannosaurus and the other tyrannosaurs are fascinating animals in their own right, and are among the best-st...

As fascinating as they are beautiful, butterflies are a pleasure to watch and an important group of invertebrates to study. This second edition of the award-winning book The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia is a fully updated guide to all butterfly species on Australia's mainland and remote islands. Written by one of Australia's leading lepidopterists, the book is stunningly illustrated with colour photographs, many of which are new, of each of the 435 currently recognised spe...

"An engrossing tale of obsession, adventure and scientific reasoning." —Betty Ann Kevles, Los Angeles TimesIn the winter of 1938, a fishing boat by chance dragged from the Indian Ocean a fish thought extinct for 70 million years. It was a coelacanth, which thrived concurrently with dinosaurs and pterodactyls—an animal of major importance to those who study the history of vertebrate life.Living Fossil describes the life and habitat of the c...

Discover over 1,200 species of animals and plants found in the coastal regions of Britain and make the most of your surroundings, whether you are on a holiday browse or serious quest. This is the definitive photographic reference guide for nature enthusiasts.This informative photographic guide will help nature enthusiasts visiting the seashore to discover and quickly and accurately identify the animals and plants commonly found in the coastal areas of Britain.The book is il...

Southern Africa is home to a remarkably diverse and rich reptile fauna, which is presented in this book in a lively and accessible way. A Guide to the Reptiles of Southern Africa introduces the 517 species currently described in the region and presents interesting insight on reptile identification and diversity, distribution patterns, and biology and behaviour. It also offers tips on finding and observing reptiles, as well as unravelling the facts and fallacies of snakebite.Souther...

Since it first became known to European scientists and naturalists in 1798, the platypus has been the subject of controversy, interest and absolute wonder. Found only in Australia, the platypus is a mammal that lays eggs but, like other mammals, it has fur and suckles its young on milk. Many early biologists who visited the British colonies in Australia, including Charles Darwin, went out of their way to observe this remarkable animal. In Australia today the species is considered to be an ...

Spectacular Snakes of Australia showcases these beautiful creatures which play such an important part in our biodiversity. It portrays most of the species found in Australia, such as tiger snakes, copperheads, brown snakes, death adders and sea snakes, up close and personal. It also includes some unique photographs, such as the hatching of scrub pythons, that offer a rare glimpse into their more intimate lives. The informative text, based on the latest research, describes the reproductive bio...

"A unique review of the many unusual and nearly worldwide occurrences of sabertooths and their relatives over more than 50 million years." — ChoiceWith their spectacularly enlarged canines, sabertooth cats are among the most popular of prehistoric animals, yet it is surprising how little information about them is available for the curious layperson. What's more, there were other sabertooths that were not cats, animals with exotic names like nimravids, barbo...